Puppet Masters

Did the Mueller report free Trump to openly deal with Russia?

Robert Blake
The Duran
Sun, 19 May 2019 00:00 UTC

The former Indian Diplomat, M. Bhadrakumar (MB), points out that "The US President Donald Trump's phone call to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, comes within 3 weeks of the release of the redacted report of the Robert Mueller inquiry into his [alleged] 'Russia collusion'. It was a 90-minute phone conversation, which underscored Trump's determination to foster good relations, despite strong opposition from both Democrats and Republican leaders alike...."

The President's comment on the call: "Yes, we're going to have lots of good trade with Russia," viewed by many as not only a poke in the eye to his critics, but also stating in no uncertain terms that the US is ready to do business again with Russia, and possibly also hinting at sanctions relief.

The phone call leaves one question unanswered. Did the filing of the Mueller report free the President to enter into the close relationship that he has always sought with Russia? The President's actions and comments seem to indicate that he believes so.

Though Trump threatens 'great force' at Iran provocation, he says 'no indication' of one

RT
Tue, 21 May 2019 00:42 UTC

As he continues to trade verbal jabs with Tehran, US President Donald Trump issued a fresh barrage of threats on Monday, vowing to meet any provocation with "great force" while calling Iran the 'number one provocateur of terror.' "We'll see what happens, but they've been very hostile, they've truly been the number one provocateur," Trump told reporters as he was departing for a campaign rally in Montoursville, Pennsylvania.

Washington has been "very much involved" in the situation with Iran - cranking up sanctions, sending over its military might and threatening war - "because we are trying to help a lot of people out," Trump said.

As rhetoric between the US and Iranian governments heated up in the last few days, cautious voices have been pointing out the potentially devastating consequences of an all-out war between the US and the Islamic Republic, and the impact it could have on the region, including war-ravaged Iraq.

While neither of the sides appear to favor that prospect, at least publicly, Trump added fuel to his war-mongering rhetoric, promising to fend off any potential provocation from Iran "with great force."

However, asked if he had a reason to believe that such a provocation is imminent, Trump admitted that there is nothing to suggest that. "We have no indication that anything is happening or will happen, but if it does, it will be met, obviously, with great force. We'll have no choice," Trump said.

Comment: More from RT, Senator Lindsey Graham apparently doesn't agree:

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has blamed Iran for "escalating tensions" in the Persian Gulf, accusing the country of threatening the US even while promising massive retaliation in response to vague "threat streams."

Graham's latest tweets were apparently inspired by a briefing from National Security Advisor John Bolton...after he complained last week that the administration wasn't telling Congress enough about the supposedly credible threats that had led Bolton to summon a carrier strike group, a bomber task force and a missile battery to the Persian Gulf over the past month.

The latest peak came when a rocket landed in an abandoned building inside Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday, triggering a tweetstorm of apocalyptic rhetoric from President Trump - even in the absence of evidence linking the rocket to Iran.

See also:

Rocket falls in Baghdad's Green zone where US embassy is located, no casualties

Iraq probes rocket incident close to US embassy sans US help

Frustrating regime changers, Maduro proposes early elections for Venezuela's National Assembly

RT
Mon, 20 May 2019 20:09 UTC

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has proposed holding early elections to restock the National Assembly, currently headed by opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido, who is backed by the US.

Maduro made this call in a speech in Caracas on Monday. He also talked about an early election in February of this year. If elections are not held beforehand, Venezuelans will vote on the makeup of the National Assembly next year as scheduled.

In 2017, the body saw its powers somewhat limited after the establishment of the Constituent Assembly, with the latter being entirely staffed with Maduro loyalists. The two legislatures have functioned in parallel since.

A broad coalition of opposition parties currently holds 109 seats in the assembly, while parties loyal to Maduro hold 55. There are a total of 167 seats in the house.

Maduro's announcement comes on the anniversary of his reelection to the Latin American country's presidency last year. Guaido, along with the United States, has called the election "illegitimate."

If defeated at the ballot box, Guaido would lose his claim to legitimate power. Despite Washington's backing, Guaido's efforts to mobilize popular anger and oust Maduro have thus far failed, and the Venezuelan president still commands the support of the country's military and remains safely in power.

Comment: Smart move by Maduro. Even if pro-govt parties don't win a majority, Guaido's extremists are sure to lose.

See also:

Fresh from election victory, ANC prepares to 'take back' South African economy 'from White capital monopoly'

RT
Mon, 20 May 2019 10:45 UTC

© Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko
Mine workers take part in a march at Lonmin's Marikana mine in South Africa's North West Province.

The struggle for economic emancipation of South Africa's black population should be unstoppable, according to the ANC (African National Congress) secretary-general Ace Magashule.

Speaking at a memorial lecture in honor of South African activist Walter Sisulu, he said that "dark forces" in the ruling party are hellbent on distracting from the struggle for economic freedom and the battle against white monopoly capital. Magashule said as cited by the Sunday Times:

"The struggle for economic emancipation of our people is and must be unstoppable. We can no longer be slaves in our own nation. We can no longer be counted as the poorest of the poor, while those who hold our wealth through historic theft still enjoy it."

It is unacceptable that the economy is still in white hands, he said, adding the ANC has to remain steadfast in the struggle for economic freedom.

Comment: See also:

Iraq probes rocket incident close to US embassy sans US help

Sputnik
Mon, 20 May 2019 21:09 UTC

The investigation into Sunday's incident involving a rocket falling in Baghdad's Green Zone not far from the US embassy is being carried out by relevant Iraqi bodies without Washington's participation, a spokesman for Iraq's Armed Forces told Sputnik on Monday.

"The security forces continue the investigation, in case of getting any results we will announce them ... The investigation is carried out by the Iraqi party without participation of the international coalition and the United States," the spokesman Yahya Rasul Abdulla said.

He added that no additional security measures had been taken after the incident.

The Iraqi spokesman's remarks come after the Sky News Arabia broadcaster reported on Sunday that several rockets fell in the Green Zone, not far from the US Embassy.

Comment: More from Sputnik: Speculation from Iraqi military on Baghdad strike

Yahya Rasul Abdullah, a spokesman for Iraq's military, has warned about attempts to destabilise the country, in a comment to Sputnik on Monday, after last weekend's rocket strike on Baghdad.

"It was an attempt to shuffle the cards and stoke tension amid an escalation between the US and Iran. Someone is trying to ratchet up tensions. The position of the military and security forces is clear: we will protect Iraq's territory and citizens, diplomatic missions and everything else on its soil," the spokesman said. Rasul added he hoped that diplomats would succeed in "putting an end to the ongoing crisis."

Russian bombers intercepted by US fighter jets off Alaskan coast

Mark Moore
New York Post
Tue, 21 May 2019 17:50 UTC

US warplanes intercepted four Russian bombers and two jet fighters in international airspace off the coast of Alaska on Monday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement Tuesday.

The Russian planes - Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and Su-35 fighters - were intercepted by US F-22 fighter jets as they entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone that extends about 200 miles off the state's western coast, NORAD said.

They were "positively identified" by a US E-3 spy plane that was conducting overall surveillance.

"The Russian bombers and fighters remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace," the statement said.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the incident in a tweet Tuesday. It said:

Aerospace Forces "made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. At certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were escorted by #F22 fighter jets of the #USAF. The total flight time exceeded 12 hours."

Thanks to Facebook data mining cell companies can now surreptitiously decide if you're creditworthy enough sell you a new phone

Sam Biddle
The Intercept
Mon, 20 May 2019 18:58 UTC

Among the mega-corporations that surveil you, your cellphone carrier has always been one of the keenest monitors, in constant contact with the one small device you keep on you at almost every moment. A confidential Facebook document reviewed by The Intercept shows that the social network courts carriers, along with phone makers - some 100 different companies in 50 countries - by offering the use of even more surveillance data, pulled straight from your smartphone by Facebook itself.

Offered to select Facebook partners, the data includes not just technical information about Facebook members' devices and use of Wi-Fi and cellular networks, but also their past locations, interests, and even their social groups. This data is sourced not just from the company's main iOS and Android apps, but from Instagram and Messenger as well. The data has been used by Facebook partners to assess their standing against competitors, including customers lost to and won from them, but also for more controversial uses like racially targeted ads.

US F-16 cost "unjustified" - Bulgarian defense minister

RT
Tue, 21 May 2019 13:54 UTC

The price for the US-made F16 jet fighters is "higher than expected" and "unjustified," the Bulgarian defense minister has said as Sofia continues negotiations on the purchase of the Lockheed Martin's warplanes.

While the price issue is not currently on the table, officials in Bulgaria think the terms of the deal are disadvantageous for Sofia. That's according to Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov who made the point as he was speaking on local TV.

"Personally, I think some of the deal's parameters are not profitable and it is a matter of negotiation that prices are normalized. They are higher than expected and unjustified."

Comment: Military deals with the US usually involve much more than just the equipment:

Iraq to send delegations to US and Iran to calm tensions

John Davison, Ahmed Rasheed, Raya Jalabi
Reuters
Tue, 21 May 2019 18:44 UTC

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi

Iraq will send delegations to Washington and Tehran to help "halt tension" amid fears of a confrontation between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday. He said there were no Iraqi groups that wanted to push towards a war, two days after a rocket fired in Baghdad landed close to the U.S. Embassy, the latest in a series of regional attacks the United States believes may have been inspired by Iran.

No one has claimed responsibility for the rocket fired into the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and diplomatic missions, on Sunday. U.S. government sources said Washington strongly suspects Shi'ite militias with ties to Tehran were behind the rocket attack.

Comment: It is much more likely US had a hand in the failed rocket attack, and Iran has warned about it: Iranian FM warns of US false flag plotting in region

Iran has rejected allegations of involvement in attacks. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday Iran would be met with "great force" if it attacked U.S. interests in the Middle East.

Nadler preparing contempt vote for McGahn - but have the consequences been weighed?

Griffin Connolly
Roll Call
Tue, 21 May 2019 18:24 UTC

© Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/File
Then-White House counsel Don McGahn listens to testimony at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh in Hart Building in September.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler is preparing a committee vote to hold former White House counsel Don McGahn in contempt of Congress, the second Trump official to get such treatment for defying one of Nadler's subpoenas to testify about the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"Let me be clear: this Committee will hear Mr. McGahn's testimony, even if we have to go to court to secure it. We will not allow the President to prevent the American people from hearing from this witness," Nadler said at a hearing Tuesday for McGahn that the former White House lawyer skipped per the administration's orders.

The White House argued in a letter to Nadler Monday that McGahn has "absolute immunity" and is not legally required to comply with a congressional subpoena, citing an internal Justice Department opinion that determined Congress cannot compel the president's senior advisers to testify about their official duties.

Comment: Much huffing and puffing from the Democrats as they try to keep alive something, anything, nefarious alive with which to plague the Trump administration. Inasmuch as AG Barr does not seem to be worried about toothless congressional subpoenas, it is likely McGahn isn't either.

New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities, and our children are going to get a good...

parzival

Bill Gates is going to be the one with the uncertain future,,, * New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer...

parzival

The more we hear about adverse affects the more we will merely shrug. It's a catch 22. Is that an asteroid trail in the photo?

sass

Welcome to the new normal. The more sensory exposure we have about such things, the less it is an issue.

sass

more misbehaving phuqqin' jewzskies starring on the sott; speaks for itself

Jibrish

Puppet Masters

Did the Mueller report free Trump to openly deal with Russia?

Though Trump threatens 'great force' at Iran provocation, he says 'no indication' of one

Frustrating regime changers, Maduro proposes early elections for Venezuela's National Assembly

Fresh from election victory, ANC prepares to 'take back' South African economy 'from White capital monopoly'

Iraq probes rocket incident close to US embassy sans US help

Russian bombers intercepted by US fighter jets off Alaskan coast

Thanks to Facebook data mining cell companies can now surreptitiously decide if you're creditworthy enough sell you a new phone

US F-16 cost "unjustified" - Bulgarian defense minister

Iraq to send delegations to US and Iran to calm tensions

Nadler preparing contempt vote for McGahn - but have the consequences been weighed?

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